I have opinions on foreign policy, although I know little about it. Or, let’s say, I have opinions about tariff wars like the one President Spanky is bumbling us into, although I understand nothing about the complexities of international trade. Nor does Spanky.
I attempt to keep my views informed by consulting my wife, history books, the Internet, documentaries, television news, newspapers and magazines. I participate in a weekly discussion group made up of people like myself.
Because I get to vote, I think I should have informed views on complicated issues. Of course, some political issues are matters of common sense. It is a simple fact that in American states where guns abound, a higher percentage of people die of gunshot wounds, but whether one believes facts or not often depends on whether the facts support one’s preconceptions.
What is actually going on is that my views largely depend on the news sources and leaders I trust. That’s a choice. But I want to admit to myself how ignorant I am. There are people in the state assembly, for example, who have actually taken the time to become experts on how to deliver health care. It’s hard to know which representatives to trust, but that is the real decision a voter, who is living the usual busy life, has to make: which experts to trust.
(Also I will never again vote for someone who fails to support attempts to control guns, no matter how small or symbolic.)
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